Midnight on the Moon (6 page)

Jack and Annie left the Frog Creek woods. They started down their street.

Annie glanced up at the sky. “The moon looks really far away, doesn't it?”

It did, thought Jack. It
was
.

“I wonder how the moon man can be up there all alone,” said Annie.

“What do you mean?” said Jack.

“I mean, who helps him put on his spacesuit?” said Annie. “Who helps him get up when he falls down?”

“And who is he?” added Jack.

“Who do you think he was?” said Annie.

“He must be a scientist or an astronaut from Earth,” said Jack.

“No. I think he's an alien,” said Annie, “from another galaxy.”

Jack scoffed. “What makes you say that?”

“I just feel it,” said Annie.

“Wrong,” said Jack. “There's no proof that aliens exist.”

“Maybe not now,” said Annie. “But don't forget—we were in the future.”

“Oh, brother,” said Jack.

They crossed their yard and climbed their back steps. Annie tiptoed inside the house. Jack followed her.

Before he shut the door, he glanced up at the moon.

Was Annie right? he wondered. Could the moon man have come from another galaxy?

Morgan's words came back to him:
The universe is filled with wonders. Isn't it, Jack?

“Goodnight, moon man,” Jack whispered. Then he closed the door.

Jack stared out the kitchen window.

The sun was not up yet. But the sky was growing lighter.

Jack had been awake for a long time. He had been thinking about the dream he'd had—the dream about Morgan le Fay.

The tree house is back,
Morgan had said.
I'm waiting.

Jack wished that dreams were real. He missed Morgan's magic tree house.

“Jack!” His little sister Annie appeared in the doorway. “We have to go to the woods
now!”
she said.

“Why?” Jack asked.

“I had a dream about Morgan!” exclaimed Annie. “She said the tree house is back and she's waiting for us!”

“That was
my
dream,” said Jack.

“Oh, wow,” said Annie. “She told you, too? So it
must
be important.”

“But dreams aren't real,” said Jack.

“Some dreams aren't. But this one is,” said Annie. “I can just feel it.” She opened the back door. “I'll see you later!”

“Wait—wait. I'm coming!” said Jack.

He raced up the stairs.
Having the same dream must mean
something, he thought.

He grabbed his backpack and threw his notebook and pencil into it.

Then he ran downstairs.

“We'll be back soon, Mom!” Jack called into the living room.

“Where you going so early?” his dad called.

“Just for a quick walk!” said Jack.

“It rained last night,” called his mom. “Don't get your shoes wet.”

“We won't!”

Jack slipped out the door. Annie was waiting for him.

“Let's go!” she said.

The sky was pale gray. The air felt freshly washed.

Jack and Annie ran up their quiet street to the Frog Creek woods.

They headed between the trees. Soon they came to the tallest oak in the woods. There was a wooden house high in the treetop.

“It
is
back!” whispered Jack.

Someone looked out the window of the tree house—a lovely old woman with long white hair. Morgan le Fay.

“Come up,” called the magical librarian.

Jack and Annie climbed up the rope ladder and into the tree house.

In the dawn light, they stared at Morgan le Fay. She looked beautiful in a red velvet robe.

Jack pushed his glasses into place. He couldn't stop smiling.

“We both had dreams about you!” said Annie.

“I know,” said Morgan.

“You do?”

“Yes, I sent them to you,” said Morgan, “because I need your help.”

“What kind of help?” said Jack.

“Merlin the Magician has been up to his tricks again,” said Morgan. “So I haven't had any time to collect books for Camelot's library.”

“Can we collect them for you?” asked Annie.

“Yes, but in order to gather books through time you must be Master Librarians,” said Morgan.

“Oh, well,” Annie said sadly.

“But you can
become
Master Librarians,” said Morgan, “if you pass the test.”

“Really?” said Annie.

“What kind of test?” Jack asked.

“You must show that you know how to do research,” said Morgan, “and show that you can find answers to hard questions.”

“How?” said Annie.

“By solving four riddles,” said Morgan. She reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a rolled-up paper.

“The first riddle is written on this ancient scroll,” she said. “This book will help you find the answer.”

She held out a book. On the cover were the words
Ocean Guide
.

“This is where you have to go,” said Morgan.

“The ocean! Oh, boy!” said Annie. She pointed at the cover. “I wish we—”

“Stop!” Jack grabbed Annie's hand. “How will we know if we've found the right answer to the riddle?” he asked Morgan.

“You will know,” Morgan said mysteriously. “I promise you will know.”

Jack let go of Annie's hand. She pointed again at the cover and finished her wish: “I wish we could go there.”

The wind started to blow.

“Are you coming with us, Morgan?” Jack said.

Before Morgan could answer, the tree house started to spin.

Jack squeezed his eyes shut.

The tree house spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

Jack opened his eyes.

Morgan le Fay was gone.

Only the ancient scroll and the ocean book were left in her place.